Fraser Cameron, Director, EU-Asia Centre, said that it was an opportune moment to discuss EU-China relations as it was on the eve of the 29 June summit. Relations had developed enormously since 1975 and now it was important to assess and agree priorities in order to move on to a new stage of EU-China cooperation.

YANG Yanyi, China’s ambassador to the EU, agreed that the relationship had developed very well and had transcended different political and social systems. Ever since Chinese primer Zhou Enlai had met EU Commissioner Christopher Soames in 1975, China and EU have maintained a win-win record of cooperation. The 40 year relationship has developed under peace, reform, growth and civilization based on new levels of interdependence. The volume of today’s bilateral trade (one $billion a day) is 250 times that of 1975. The EU has been China’s largest trading partner for ten consecutive years, and China is also the EU’s second largest trading partner. There are 90 flights a day between Europe and China carrying over 16,000 passengers.

The EU and NATO have invested hugely in Afghanistan over the past decade. But as the international community winds down its presence what are the future political, security and economic prospects for the country? Will the upcoming parliamentary elections lead to greater cohesion? Will there be continued insurgency by the Taliban? What role for regional actors and the West? How to improve the Afghan economy? How long will international donors provide assistance? Could Afghanistan benefit from the Silk Road Economic Belt?

On 2 June the EU-Asia Centre held a panel discussion to discuss the outcome of the 23rd EU-Japan summit on 29 May and prospects for EU-Japan relations. Opening the event, Fraser Cameron said that there was a general feeling that during the past decade EU-Japan relations had not fulfilled expectations. Now, as both sides were in the midst of the negotiations for an EU-Japan Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and a strategic partnership agreement, there were renewed hopes for a deeper partnership.

Jiro Okuyama, Deputy Chief of the Mission of Japan to the EU , set the scene by stating that countries in Asia need to adapt to a significantly changed strategic environment. Japan\'s answer is presented in its first ever published national security strategy, adopted in 2013, and the recent \"Legislation for Peace and Security\". In this context, Japan was honoured to be the first of the EU’s strategic partners with which it held a summit.

The EU-China summit on 29 June will celebrate 40 years of diplomatic relations. The summit follows the first visit of Federica Mogherini to China last month for wide-ranging talks on political and security issues.It is thus timely to review what has been achieved over the past four decades, to assess the current state of the relationship and prospects for the future.

The EU-Asia Centre and BICCS invite you to a unique panel discussion with two of the key actors in the relationship: the Chinese ambassador to the EU, YANG Yanyi, and the EU ambassador to China Hans-Dietmar Schweisgut. Both ambassadors will offer their perspectives on EU-China relations, including the summit preparations. Professor Gustaaf Geererts, Director of BICCS, will offer concluding remarks.

The EU-Asia Centre and the Brussels Institute of Contemporary China Studies (BICCS) hosted a panel discussion on ‘Trends in Chinese ODI in Europe: A New Stage?’

Fraser Cameron, Director, EU-Asia Centre said that as China’s economy has grown, so too has its stock of ODI. According to some figures its outward investment now exceeds its inward investment. But how is this trend affecting Europe? How should the EU react to the surge in Chinese ODI?

The EU-Asia Centre and the Brussels Institute of Contemporary China Studies (BICCS) invite you to a panel discussion on ‘Trends in Chinese ODI in Europe: A New Stage?’ at the Press Club, 95 Rue Froissart, from 1100-1230 on 19 May.

After a slow start Chinese outward direct investment (ODI) is increasingly rapidly in the EU. In 2014, total investment reached a record level of $18bn. This figure included major deals in Italy’s energy sector, in British real estate and infrastructure sectors, and in Portugal’s financial sector. Under current trends the 2014 figure could be doubled this year.

The reforms discussed at the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and the National People’s Congress (NPC) plus the implications for the EU were the main topics at a panel discussion organised by the EU-Asia Centre on 18 March.

Fraser Cameron, Director of the EU-Asia Centre opened the discussion by stressing how nearly all decisions taken in China today had an impact on the outside world including the EU. It was important, therefore, to analyse trends in China. This was why the Centre had asse

A panel debate on 18 March organized by the EU-Asia Centre considered opportunities to increase cooperation between Korea, China and Japan, and obstacles to deepening and formalising such cooperation. The panel, made up of experts and officials from both Korea (Dr. CHOI Kang, Vice President of the Asian Institute for Policy Studies, Seoul; Mr SHIN Beomchul, Director General for Policy Planning, MFA Seoul) and the EU (Professor Shaun Breslin, Warwick University; Alfredo Conte, Director for Strategic Planning, EEAS) was moderated by Fraser Cameron, director of the EU-Asia Centre. An audience of officials, academics and businessmen gathered to exchange views on regional cooperation, the EU’s potential role and to gain first-hand experience of the North Asia Peace and Cooperation Initiative (NAPCI).

Fraser Cameron opened the debate with a short description of the complicated security environment in NE Asia. It was against this background that President Park had launched the NAPCI initiative. He hoped the speakers would analyse the prospects for more cooperation between Japan, China and Korea and the relevance of the EU model.